Spiffy:

Iffy:

Need For Speed ProStreet didn't pan out so well as far as we were concerned, but it looks like Electronic Arts may have learned the error of its ways with Need For Speed Undercover. In this newest iteration, the series leaves the professional racetrack and brings the action back to the city streets, complete with the difficulties of avoiding law enforcement. While you'll still be able to tune your ride well beyond street legality, the days of flashy whips oozing neon and sporting spinners have given way to a less ostentatious approach that values performance over giant hexagonal wing spoilers. Associate Producer Jessie Abney described Undercover as "a more mature and gritty Need For Speed," and after taking a spin ourselves, we can see where he and the rest of the EA Black Box development team are coming from.

Deep Cover

Set in the Tri City Bay Area just off the Eastern gulf coast, Need For Speed: Undercover encompasses three distinct townships interconnected by highways that form a giant circuit. These cities have fallen on hard times due to rampant crime that has predominantly taken the form of illegal street racing. One stalwart cop by the name of Lt. Keller has decided to do something about it... but that's not the character you play. No, instead you work with Keller to develop a plausible identity that you can use like a chameleon as you descend into the depths of the illegal street racing syndicates.

While most police will have no idea that you're one of the good guys, you will have one contact to help you navigate the shady passages of organized crime. A federal agent by the name of Chase Lynn (voiced by actress Maggie Q) will get you your jobs and attempt to clean up any messes you leave in your reckless wake.

Magic Hour = Business Time

Although the Auto-Sculpt feature (which enables you to shape aftermarket parts to your specifications) will make an appearance in Undercover, it will not focus on pimping out cars with the same exuberance as in past NFS titles. In an attempt to age-up the franchise, Undercover goes for more subtle refinements in vehicles, concentrated on more modern automotive aesthetics like muted matte paint and subtle powder coats. Indeed, the vehicles on display (Porsche, Audi RS4 and an unidentified muscle car) did not resemble the hyper-caffeinated "2 Fast, 2 Furious" monstrosities of former NFS glory.

Of course, the stylishly contemporary approach to customizing vehicles is made especially appealing by Undercover's use of something film makers call "the magic hour." Specifically, the magic hour is a brief period between dusk and sundown where whatever is filmed takes on an ethereal golden glow that washes over everything in the scene. Bathing Undercover's environments in a warm, slightly sepia-toned light brings out delicate nuances in the scenery and seems to give the vehicles a little extra charm and class.

Meanwhile, although they may look subdued, the cars are still capable of relentlessly eating up the road, especially now that vehicle damage has been relegated to the cosmetic only category. Unlike in ProStreet, bashing your car up will have no effect on its performance, even though it will still look like a mashed-up bucket of bolts.

Both pursuing police and oblivious commuters receive some retuned AI. While cops will employ more aggressive and intelligent tactics to paint you into a corner, civilian drivers will actually use their turn signals when they want to change lanes... perhaps a minor improvement, but a welcome one nonetheless for any that suffered at the hands of the witless traffic in Most Wanted.

"This is the culmination of all of the Need For Speed games since Hot Pursuit," explained Jessie Abney, and after our brief glimpse of Need For Speed: Undercover, that description appears to validate our lingering suspicion that these games have always been more fun when they had cops chasing you.